Behind the scenes of belief and hope: how did Yamal experience the Ballon d'Or night?
In the hours before and after the ceremony
Lamine Yamal had made no secret of his ambition to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The young Barcelona star arrived at the ceremony in London, though, aware the task might be harder than he had hoped. The evening ended with England's Harry Kane crowned with the most important award of all, for the first time in his career.
Catalan newspaper "Sport" revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the hours Yamal lived through before and after the ceremony. The paper confirmed that the Barcelona player took the result in a sporting spirit, despite his disappointment at missing out on the grand prize for the second year running, while keeping faith in his ability to achieve the dream in the future.
Yamal felt the Ballon d'Or slipping away from him
Optimism gripped the Barcelona delegation over Yamal's chances, according to the newspaper. Inside the club, though, expectations had started days earlier to lean towards a Kane win, with the ceremony staged in his birthplace, the English capital.
Yamal was not far off those expectations himself. He had sensed for about a week that the English striker might take it, a conviction only reinforced once the Barcelona delegation touched down in London, where the whole atmosphere seemed to be paving the way for the Bayern Munich star.
What also caught his eye was the presence of senior Bayern Munich officials in the English capital. He read it as a sign the German club expected its striker to win. The preparations for the celebration, it seemed, were already in place in both London and Germany.
The Barcelona delegation did not give up hope entirely. In the end Yamal settled for the best young player award, pipping his team-mate and friend Pau Cubarsí by just two votes, according to "Sport".
A sporting spirit and belief in achieving the dream
The newspaper explained that Yamal accepted Kane's victory in full sporting spirit, refusing to treat losing the Ballon d'Or as the end of his ambition. He is still only nineteen, and has already made the top ten for the award three times, including two appearances on the podium.
Convinced he can win the Ballon d'Or one day, the Barcelona star reckons the organisers themselves may expect him to get there in the future. That, he believes, was one of the reasons he received the best young player award.
Those feelings mix belief in his own ability with hope for what lies ahead. He knows the award does not rest on individual talent alone, but is shaped too by the collective trophies a player lifts with club and country.
According to "Sport", Yamal travelled to London separately from the Barcelona delegation, boarding a private plane with those closest to him. He chose to stay on in the English capital, making the most of the first team's day off on Tuesday.
Once the ceremony wrapped up, he headed to the hotel to rest, dining in his room with his partner Inés García.
Barcelona security had scouted luxury restaurants across London, the newspaper noted, in case the player ended up celebrating a Ballon d'Or win. Yamal called it off in the end. The signs, after all, were not pointing to a coronation.
Titles are Yamal's path to the Ballon d'Or
Yamal clings to the hope of claiming the award in the future, while grafting on in the shirts of Barcelona and Spain. He knows the titles he wins with both may prove the decisive factor in reaching his goal.
Between losing the grand prize and keeping the best young player award, Yamal walked out of the London night with a clear message. The Ballon d'Or dream is not over. His next chance will hinge on what he produces on the pitch in the years ahead.
